Monday, November 17, 2008
19 Minutes has just captured my attention. Bullying is such an overwhelming issue and I do not know what the answer is for young children. I have been having in- depth conversations with my daughter about this subject. I find Piccoult's way of writing is capturing my interest and will find myself reading more of her books.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Next Book Club Meeting for 19 Minutes?
When is our next meeting? And does anyone have any ideas for a nice, happy, simple December read?
I can't wait until Thanksgiving break to read the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that Suzie has suggested and everyone is loving. The anticipation is killin me!
I can't wait until Thanksgiving break to read the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that Suzie has suggested and everyone is loving. The anticipation is killin me!
Jodi Piccoult / Change of Heart
After reading 19 Minutes, I came across Change of Heart on CD at the library. Since I have zero time to read right now, I listened for the last month in my car...and I really liked it! If you a) haven't read it :-) and b) enjoyed 19 Minutes, I suggest it. It is about a boy on death row who would like to donate his heart to a dying girl. I will never look at the death penalty the same again.
Since Brian Nichols will be sentenced soon, it made me think, would I be for the death penalty or not? There's no question of whether he murdered 4 people. It's such a difficult topic for me and now even more heart-wrenching. I think that's why I like Jodi Piccoult - she makes me think about things from someone else's point of view, always reminding me that nothing is simply black or white.
I also wonder how a murderer can be so villinous but still show heart. Like Nichols with the girl who's apartment he forced himself into - why did he kill the customs agent then let the girl go to see her son? How can someone do such inhumane things, yet have human moments?
Since Brian Nichols will be sentenced soon, it made me think, would I be for the death penalty or not? There's no question of whether he murdered 4 people. It's such a difficult topic for me and now even more heart-wrenching. I think that's why I like Jodi Piccoult - she makes me think about things from someone else's point of view, always reminding me that nothing is simply black or white.
I also wonder how a murderer can be so villinous but still show heart. Like Nichols with the girl who's apartment he forced himself into - why did he kill the customs agent then let the girl go to see her son? How can someone do such inhumane things, yet have human moments?
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Story Behind 19 Minutes
http://authorbytes.com/picoult/podcasts/
A podcast from Jodi Picoult. (#6)
I enjoyed listening to this.
A podcast from Jodi Picoult. (#6)
I enjoyed listening to this.
Book club discussion questions for Nineteen Minutes
Copied from: http://www.jodipicoult.com/nineteen-minutes.html#questions
Alex and Lacy’s friendship comes to an end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide that it’s in Josie’s best interest to keep her daughter away from Peter? What significance is there to the fact that Alex is the first one to prevent Josie from being friends with Peter?
Alex often has trouble separating her roles as a judge and a mother. How does this affect her relationship with Josie? Discuss whether or not Alex’s job is more important to her than being a mother.
A theme throughout the novel is the idea of masks and personas, and pretending to be someone you’re not. To which characters does this apply, and why?
At one point defense attorney Jordan McAfee refers to himself as a “spin doctor,” and he believes that at the end of Peter’s trial he “will be either reviled or canonized” (250). What is your view of Jordan? As you were reading the book, did you find it difficult or not to remain objective about the judicial system’s standing that every defendant (no matter how heinous his or her crime) has the right to a fair trial?
Peter was a victim of bullying for twelve years at the hands of certain classmates, many of whom repeatedly tormented him. But he also shot and killed students he had never met or who had never done anything wrong to him. What empathy, if any, did you have for Peter both before and after the shooting?
Josie and Peter were friends until the sixth grade. Is it understandable that Josie decided not to hang out with Peter in favor of the popular crowd? Why or why not? How accurate and believable did you find the author’s depiction of high school peer pressure and the quest for popularity? Do you believe, as Picoult suggests, that even the popular kids are afraid that their own friends will turn on them?
Josie admits she often witnessed Matt’s cruelty toward other students. Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? How much did you empathize with Josie?
Regarding Lacy, Patrick notes that “in a different way, this woman was a victim of her son’s actions, too” (53). How much responsibility do Lewis and Lacy bear for Peter’s actions? How about Lewis in particular, who taught his son how to handle guns and hunt?
At one point during Peter’s bullying, Lacy is encouraged by an elementary school teacher to force Peter to stand up for himself. She threatens to cancel his playdates with Josie if he doesn’t fight back. How did you feel, when you read that scene? Do you blame Lacy for Peter’s future actions because of it? Do you agree or disagree with the idea that it a parent’s job to teach a child the skills necessary to defend himself?
When Patrick arrives at Sterling High after the shooting, “his entire body began to shake, knowing that for so many students and parents and citizens today, he had once again been too late” (24). Why does Patrick blame himself for not preventing an incident he had no way of knowing was going to happen?
Dr. King, an expert witness for the defense, states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of chronic victimization. “But a big part of it, too,” he adds, “is the society that created both Peter and those bullies” (409). What reasons does Dr. King give to support his assertion that society is partly to blame for Peter’s actions as well as those of the bullies? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Why does Peter remain silent about Josie’s role in the shooting? In the end, has justice been satisfactorily dealt to Peter and to Josie?
Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
Shootings have occurred at a number of high schools across the country over the last several years. Did Nineteen Minutes make you think about these incidents in a more immediate way than reading about them in the newspaper or seeing coverage on television? How so? In what ways did the novel impact your opinion of the parties generally involved in school shootings—perpetrators, victims, fellow students, teachers, parents, attorneys, and law enforcement officials?
What do you think the author is proposing as the root of the problem of school violence? What have you heard, in the media and in political forums, as solutions? Do you think they will work? Why or why not?
Alex and Lacy’s friendship comes to an end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide that it’s in Josie’s best interest to keep her daughter away from Peter? What significance is there to the fact that Alex is the first one to prevent Josie from being friends with Peter?
Alex often has trouble separating her roles as a judge and a mother. How does this affect her relationship with Josie? Discuss whether or not Alex’s job is more important to her than being a mother.
A theme throughout the novel is the idea of masks and personas, and pretending to be someone you’re not. To which characters does this apply, and why?
At one point defense attorney Jordan McAfee refers to himself as a “spin doctor,” and he believes that at the end of Peter’s trial he “will be either reviled or canonized” (250). What is your view of Jordan? As you were reading the book, did you find it difficult or not to remain objective about the judicial system’s standing that every defendant (no matter how heinous his or her crime) has the right to a fair trial?
Peter was a victim of bullying for twelve years at the hands of certain classmates, many of whom repeatedly tormented him. But he also shot and killed students he had never met or who had never done anything wrong to him. What empathy, if any, did you have for Peter both before and after the shooting?
Josie and Peter were friends until the sixth grade. Is it understandable that Josie decided not to hang out with Peter in favor of the popular crowd? Why or why not? How accurate and believable did you find the author’s depiction of high school peer pressure and the quest for popularity? Do you believe, as Picoult suggests, that even the popular kids are afraid that their own friends will turn on them?
Josie admits she often witnessed Matt’s cruelty toward other students. Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? How much did you empathize with Josie?
Regarding Lacy, Patrick notes that “in a different way, this woman was a victim of her son’s actions, too” (53). How much responsibility do Lewis and Lacy bear for Peter’s actions? How about Lewis in particular, who taught his son how to handle guns and hunt?
At one point during Peter’s bullying, Lacy is encouraged by an elementary school teacher to force Peter to stand up for himself. She threatens to cancel his playdates with Josie if he doesn’t fight back. How did you feel, when you read that scene? Do you blame Lacy for Peter’s future actions because of it? Do you agree or disagree with the idea that it a parent’s job to teach a child the skills necessary to defend himself?
When Patrick arrives at Sterling High after the shooting, “his entire body began to shake, knowing that for so many students and parents and citizens today, he had once again been too late” (24). Why does Patrick blame himself for not preventing an incident he had no way of knowing was going to happen?
Dr. King, an expert witness for the defense, states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of chronic victimization. “But a big part of it, too,” he adds, “is the society that created both Peter and those bullies” (409). What reasons does Dr. King give to support his assertion that society is partly to blame for Peter’s actions as well as those of the bullies? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Why does Peter remain silent about Josie’s role in the shooting? In the end, has justice been satisfactorily dealt to Peter and to Josie?
Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
Shootings have occurred at a number of high schools across the country over the last several years. Did Nineteen Minutes make you think about these incidents in a more immediate way than reading about them in the newspaper or seeing coverage on television? How so? In what ways did the novel impact your opinion of the parties generally involved in school shootings—perpetrators, victims, fellow students, teachers, parents, attorneys, and law enforcement officials?
What do you think the author is proposing as the root of the problem of school violence? What have you heard, in the media and in political forums, as solutions? Do you think they will work? Why or why not?
I really enjoyed the musical and am actually glad that I DID read the book because it made things so much clearer. I would have missed the whole CLOCK Tower theme of the set without having read the book. I do enjoy happy endings so I approve of the artistic license that the play- wright used liberally with the characters and the story. I have enjoyed the outings of the 102 Book Club. I can hardly wait to see what the next adventurous outing will become.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wicked: The Musical!
I loved the musical. It has been awhile since I have been to a show, so the sets, lighting, and costumes just amazed me! I also figured they would stray from the text, but I never thought it would be that different! Nessarose with arms, Dr. Dillamond alive and well, and Fiyero with Gaaalinda. My favorite had to be the interpretation of Gaaaalinda. While I like the singing, one song Elphie did was so loud I couldn't understand the words. Am I alone on that one? Which ending do you prefer: the death by water or the ha-ha I tricked you all for love? I don't think that a happy ending for Wicked makes sense. (maybe it does in the musical since it was much lighter).
Looking back, I also noticed that I didn't even blink an eye when Fiyero left Glinda. Usually, I would think, "JERK!" and "Poor Girl!" I think it is an amazing mind trick when an author/director can make you like someone who does bad things. (Hence why I love the show Dexter so much - nothing like rooting for the mass murderer!) And who doesn't connect to these characters or laugh because you know someone just like Glinda? haha!!!
Well, I rarely have "girl" time so I enjoyed this thoroughly. I can't thank everyone enough for providing a wonderful time in my only social outing of the month. :o) I can't wait until we do our next "field trip".
Looking back, I also noticed that I didn't even blink an eye when Fiyero left Glinda. Usually, I would think, "JERK!" and "Poor Girl!" I think it is an amazing mind trick when an author/director can make you like someone who does bad things. (Hence why I love the show Dexter so much - nothing like rooting for the mass murderer!) And who doesn't connect to these characters or laugh because you know someone just like Glinda? haha!!!
Well, I rarely have "girl" time so I enjoyed this thoroughly. I can't thank everyone enough for providing a wonderful time in my only social outing of the month. :o) I can't wait until we do our next "field trip".
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
My thoughts on :Wicked."
I enjoyed Wicked, though it was a little hard to get into. I had to "get into" the author's cadence and than I was ok. There were parts that were tedious - th language that is - and I confess I skimmed those parts. I did see it as a treatise on our political times.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Check out this website before Thursday!
This website is all about the musical. It includes a list of characters and questions to consider before attending the musical. YEA!
http://wickedthemusicaleducation.com.au/pdfs/VCE.pdf
http://wickedthemusicaleducation.com.au/pdfs/VCE.pdf
Wicked
What are your thoughts on Wicked?
Did you find it laborious or a page turner?
How do you see the story of Oz differently now?
Any new words you have added to your vocabulary as a result of reading Wicked?
What was your favorite event?
Favorite character?
Anything you could have done without?
Did you find it laborious or a page turner?
How do you see the story of Oz differently now?
Any new words you have added to your vocabulary as a result of reading Wicked?
What was your favorite event?
Favorite character?
Anything you could have done without?
The First of Many or the First and the Last?
So I was enjoying my Fall Break when I dreamed up the idea of starting a blog for our book club. We are always so rushed at school and sometimes we don't get into deep discussions of the books. Could it be our love of food and light gossip (uhhhhhh... I mean deep, meaningful deliberations on worldly issues)? Ah, dreams of tomato pie....
I loved Mary Ruth's email on her thoughts about Wicked. I would love to hear these types of comments from everyone. It's so interesting to hear what stands out to different people and how each of us connect themes to our own lives and experiences.
So my idea is a place where we can communicate while we read our current selection. Have a question? Post it! Time to comment? Post it! Ready to evaluate? Post it! Having a site unconnected to school can enable each person to speak freely and not have to worry about what trail she is leaving on system email for the next 50 years. haha. AND, if for some reason, you can't attend the monthly meeting, you can still communicate about the book and not miss out.
So what do you think?
I loved Mary Ruth's email on her thoughts about Wicked. I would love to hear these types of comments from everyone. It's so interesting to hear what stands out to different people and how each of us connect themes to our own lives and experiences.
So my idea is a place where we can communicate while we read our current selection. Have a question? Post it! Time to comment? Post it! Ready to evaluate? Post it! Having a site unconnected to school can enable each person to speak freely and not have to worry about what trail she is leaving on system email for the next 50 years. haha. AND, if for some reason, you can't attend the monthly meeting, you can still communicate about the book and not miss out.
So what do you think?
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